Envelope-making machine



Nov. 30 1926. 1,609,236

. S. R. WYCHERLEY ET AL ENVELOPE MAKING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1924 2sheets-shea 1 Nov. 30,1925. 1,609,236

S. R. WYCHERLEY ET AL ENVELOPE MAKING MACHINE Filed June 25,1924 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

UNITED `STATES SYDNEY RENODEN WYCHERLEY, OF lBROlVILEY, AND

1,609,236 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM RAMSAY OALDER SMITH, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO SIJICERSLIMITED, OF LONDON, ENG- LAND.

ENVELOPE-IVIAKING MACHINE.

Original application led April 30, 1923, Serial No. 635,625, and inGreat Britain October 17, 1922. Divided and this application filed .lune25, 1924.

This invention relates principally to that class of envelope makingmachines described in British Letters Patent No. 3,231 of 1911 but italso is applicable to other classes of machines wherein an envelopeblank is fed to and travels along with an endless band or bands andchain or chains, during which travel a gun'iming and folding ofoppositely disposed fiaps is effected and the partly made envelopeengages a wall and is then carried at right angles to the firstdirection of movement and during which latter movement the final gummingand folding is effected.

In machines as at present constructed, some of the partially madeenvelopes will get out of alignment, that is to say slightly twisted atthe time they are delivered against the wall, whereby faulty shapedenvelopes are formed and emerge at the delivery end of the machine. Theobject of this invention is to provide means whereby when a partiallymade envelope is delivered against a wall it will be properly positionedor be both properly positioned and momentarily held before it is carriedaway at a right angle to its first direction of movement for the finalgumming and folding previous 'to delivery from the machine.

The means for properly positioning the partially made envelopes consistsin a reciprocating clamp or stop which is actuated to arrest and holdthe envelope at its forward edge the moment it reaches the Wall, `or amovable wall against which the forward edge of the envelope abuts andwhich rises to release the partially made envelope almost immediately,in order that the pins on the travellingbands or chains, which travel inthe second direction of movement, may carry each partially made envelopecorrectly positioned for the final gumming and folding before leavingthe machine.

The gripping or like appliance may be of any shape either to grip thepartially made envelope or against which the partially made envelopeengages, in which latter case the appliance is shaped to ensure that thepartially made envelope is given its correct position.

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 635,625 filedApril 30, 1923.

The invention will be described with reference to the annexed drawingsin which- Figure 1 is a plan View of a portion of the Serial No.722,860.

and part of the end portion being shown in section. v

Figure 3 is an end view of the portion of the machine shown'in Figure 1and showing the appliances for stopping or arresting the partially madeenvelope.

Figure l is a perspective view of one form of stop or grip. i

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a form of stop suitable for arrestingand positioning the partially made envelope.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of a machine with the travelling orcarrier appliances removed.

In the drawings only the part of the machine to which the invention isapplied is shown, the travelling bands, chains, etc., boing fory themost part omitted for the salte of clearness, and the gumming andfolding appliances being entirely omitted.

The partially formed envelope, at the end of its travel from the feedend A (Fig. 6) contacts with a wall or stop 23 as shown in Fig. 1.

In the case of ordinary machines and with ordinary envelopes the forwardportion of the envelope which contacts with the wall or stop 23 iscarried by a part of the bottom iiap and the rapidity of the movementwill often cause the partly made envelope to swerve out of the positionin which it should be in order to be carried at a right angle to itsfirst direction of movement, resulting in the formation of anincorrectly shaped envelope, i. e., the bottom flap will not be properlygummed and folded. In order to obviate this, a clamping device isprovided which consists of a clamp 24 carried by a rod 25 connected to across piece 26 carrying a rod 27 parallel with the rod 25. The crosspiece 26 and rods 25 and 27 reciprocate vertically, and to this end therods 25 and '27 pass through holes in a plate 28 supported above thewall or .stop 23 of the machine by a standard 29. The standard 29extends through the plate 28, being .suitably secured to the latter, and.also through a hole in the cross piece 2G. The rod 27 carries a roller30 Which contacts with a double cam Wheel 3l carried by a shaft 32. Theshaft 32 carries a sprocket 33 driven by a chain 34 from any part of themachine, and a spring 36 mounted on the rod 27 has its opposite .endsbearing against a collar 35 adjustably secured to the rod 27 and againstthe plate 28, to hold the roller 30 in engagement with the cam Wheel 31.

The reciprocating action of the rod 25 and clamp 24 is timed With thefeed so that the clamp 24 is lowered to grip or hold the partly madeenvelope just as the forward edge of the latter engages the Wall or stop23. The clamp 24 thus prevents the partially formed envelope fromaltering its proper po sition, and the clamp 24 Will be immediatelylifted in order that the usual stops 3T on the chains 33, 38 may engagethe partly made envelope and carry it onto the gumming, folding andpressing appliances, as is usual, for completion of the envelope.

Instead of gripping or holding the partially made envelope with a plaingrip .as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the grip or holder 24 may be shaped asshown in Fig. 4 so as to grip it at two parts, or the holder may beshaped to conform to the forward edge of the envelope which contactsWith the Wall and the partly made envelope may be arrested thereby, butin all cases the holder or arrester is reciprocated in the same manneras shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

As will be understood, the appliances shown are only examples ofcarrying the invention into effect, the novel features being theemployment of reciprocating appliances which will properly position apartly made envelope at the end of its first path of movement and beforeit is caused to move in a path at a right angle to said first path.

What we do claim as our invention and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is tl. In an envelope-making machine wherein .an envelope blankis caused to move in one path in having an operation performed thereonand is then caused to move in a path at a right angle to said Iirst pathin order to have another operation performed thereon and comprisingmeans for conveying said blank in the latter path, a stop adapted toreciprocate into and out of position to engage the blank at the end ofsaid first path of movement, and means for reciprocating said stop intimed relation to said conveying means.

2. In an envelope-making machine Wherein an envelope blank is caused tomove in one path in having an operation performed thereon and is thencaused to move in a path at a right angle to said first path in order tohave another operation performed there on and comprising means forconveying said blank in the latter path, a Wall against which thepartially formed envelope blank contacts at the end of its first path ofmovement, a vertical standard carried by said Wall, a plate fixed tosaid standard having a pair of vertical openings, a rod verticallymovable in each of said openings, one on each side of said Wall, meansconnecting said rods, a stop carried by one of said rods to engage andproperly position a partially formed envelope at the end of its firstpath of movement, spring means associated with said other rod andtending to move it in one direction, and means operable in timedrelation to said conveying means for moving said last named rod in theopposite direction.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto Aset our hands.

SYDNEY RENODEN WYCHERLEY. WILLIAM RAMSAY CALDER SMITH.

